Social Media Marketing is the most popular way to get your business seen in today’s world. You must have a social presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn at the very least. There are many other social medial outlets which are constantly changing, including Snapchat, Instagram, WhoSay, Periscope and much more. It’s better to have a strong presence in a few social outlets than to spread yourself too thin.

You need to spend time daily marketing on these networks. That means coming up with fascinating content that people will want to read on a regular basis. That can be a challenge.

Don’t ignore print marketing.

It may be “old school” but many people still rely on printed materials to get their news and make their buying decisions.

One of the ways I get new business is to send out persuasive sales letters to new businesses that have a DBA (doing business as) in the local newspapers. I find it in the classifieds section. I’ve been doing this for many years and it still works.

Of course you have to start out with a professional sales letter. I keep things simple. All text, few graphics. You have to say what you do explicitly and show the reader the benefits of giving you a call.

Inside each sales letter I include my business card with my catchy twisted pencil logo. Hopefully the pencil will never go out of style. Did you know they still use pencils in elementary school?

Business Cards are still a powerful social media tool.

We may be in the midst of a digital revolution, but the mighty business card is still being used daily. Yes indeed, people hand out business cards all the time. It’s easy to do and stackable too. And if you’re completely digital you can always scan a business card into your smartphone for easy access.

So make sure your business cards shows the real you. Your brand image should be consistent across all media. Really.

And of course don’t forget all the important information for your business cards:

Name

Address

Telephone Number

Email Address

Website URL

Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Names

Here’s a summary of why you should always use a business card as a marketing tool:

Easy to hand out at events and in person

Shows your brand and all the important info a client needs to find you

Can be wild or classy, being memorable is important

An inexpensive way to advertise your business

Can also be used to win free lunches at some (old school) restaurants

Brochures are hanging on

Don’t rule out full color brochures either. They work great as a “leave behind”. This is especially true at trade shows and business mixers.

Postcards, Catalogs and Door Hangers are still in the mix.

So while you can see the digital age is taking over marketing, there will absolutely be a place for print for quite some time. Printed materials are tangible. There’s less competition in print than online so you’ll stand out.

By combining print marketing with online marketing you’ll have a stronger presence and perhaps drive more traffic to your website.

Demand Action to Get Action

Whenever you advertise or write on your blog or add a landing page to your website, you must always ask the reader to do something.

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Don’t Ask, Do Tell

“When it comes to getting prospects to take action, tell them what you want them to do. It is important to give clear and definitive direction to make sure your marketing messages have a strong call to action. Use simple phrases such as “download now” or “sign up” so your audience knows exactly what to do.” – Manta

The days of setting up a website and forgetting about it are over.

I think I should spend more time marketing my business. What shall I do next? Hmmm. Perhaps a tweet or two.

You must get your name out there on a regular basis. If not, no one will ever find you. You will be sucked into an internet black hole with billions of other websites.

Don’t let this happen to you! Follow these 7 steps and you will have a better chance of staying relevant.

Include title tags, keyword phrases and meta descriptions on all your pages. Also add alt tags on your photos so they show up on searches. If this doesn’t make sense to you, call your neighborhood webmaster for help (or Chuck at Creative Juices 310-791-5803… just saying).

Submit your site to the major search engines, primarily Google, Bing and Yahoo! It takes time for search engines to register this new information.

Create a site map for your site. It helps the search engines and your visitors find all your pages.

Add videos and photos. People like visuals. Don’t forget to tag them with relevant keywords. Perhaps add a 6 second Vine or Instagram 15 second video.

Set up your social media marketing. That means Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and LinkedIn, for starters.

Collect Email addresses. Email marketing continues to be very effective.

Social Media marketing involves creating constant new and helpful content. That’s what will get your site noticed and ranked high. Google and other search engines look for this new content. People search for sites that can help them meet their needs. If your site just sits static it will disappear. No one will find it because there is nothing new.

It is important to build relationships with others, especially those in your niche. You must create a sense of community with your audience.

Unfortunately there is no easy and quick answer. Google is always tweaking their algorithms. Recently they changed the way links to your site are viewed. It’s important that you have outside links to your site, but they must be good, natural links, not links you paid for.

The take-away is to update your website often. Keep it alive and relevant. It’s not easy, but with that kind of information, people will find you!

Running a small business is an art. You have to trust your instincts and use your talents to achieve success.

It takes a lot of hard work, research and study. Never give up on your dreams.

I’ve been running Creative Juices for over 32 years. It never gets easier. In fact, with today’s economy and the changing field of graphic design, it is a daily challenge to stay up to date and relevant.

That is why I am constantly reading and studying the news for anything related to social media marketing and changes in technology for website design and function.

Here are five simple ways you can increase your chances for business success:

Engage the readers of your website with a variety of content. Make sure it’s helpful and useful.

Try using pictures, polls, tips, facts or even videos in your social media mix.

Are you an entrepreneur?

I started Creative Juices in 1981. I was a mere child. There was no internet. There was no Mac. There was little competition.

Today life is much more complicated for small business owners. There are lots of things to be aware of. I’m going to list a few of the ones directly related your business image.

First Impressions are Very Important

Get a logo design. It must be clean, professional, and timeless. It should represent you and your company.

Start a website. This is the hub of your business. Everything flows from and to your site. This includes all social media.

Create an email list. You must encourage visitors to give their email addresses on your site in order to stay in touch with current and potential clients. Perhaps offer a free ebook or newsletter.

Set up a newsletter. Regular newsletters are a great way to get people to remember you.

This is only a tiny bit of information to help get you started, graphically speaking. There’s a whole lot of other stuff you should know. My goal is to help you get your business going in the right direction.

You can never have too much information (or can you?!) Check out the following business related articles: